Western sanctions on #Russia don't just affect Russia–they also have implications on neighboring Central Asian economies. Kazakhstan relies on Russian ports to export two-thirds of its oil supplies. Last year alone, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan sent 7.8 million workers to Russia. These countries depend on seasonal migration for work and remittance payments. Most Central Asian countries are profoundly dependent on Russian natural gas and those countries are vulnerable to its supply shortages. Millions of Central Asians from countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan will face unemployment and an increase in food scarcity. Energy and job security in Central Asia will be more important than ever, but reducing this dependency can't happen overnight.

Fails an audition, consults a fortune-teller. The next time she performed, legend Danny Im said of her performance: “She seemed promising and was full of confidence. I will never forget the moment when she jumped off the stage, right in front of my eyes. I realized that only the ones with enough bravery and confidence can do that.” This Icons we celebrate Lisa, one fourth of Kpop’s biggest group Blackpink and the biggest Kpop idol from Thailand.

Mona Fandey dreamed of becoming Malaysia’s biggest pop star. Instead, she became the face of Malaysia’s most infamous crime after she murdered a local politician. After burying her victim six feet underground -- beheaded, skinned, and dismembered into 18 parts -- she was arrested and sentence to death. Her response? ""I am happy. Thank you to all of Malaysia."" This is the story of Mona Fandey, Malaysia’s most gruesome murderous witch doctor.

In a time when people told Nguyen Vu Truc Nhu (Katt) that 'this field is for men', she's coordinated stunts for Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods and has been nominated for the SAG award. Katt is now one of few stunt woman pushing the envelope for Hollywood-level stunts in Asia. She takes us behind the scenes and shows us the struggles to perform at Hollywood's highest level as Vietnam's first female stunt coordinator.

Anti-hijab campaigns have erupted across India after a college in Karnataka told students to take off their Hijab inside classrooms. Muskan Khan, a Muslim college student from Karnataka, stood up to against her school and to a crowd of shouting Anti-Muslim slogans. She is now the face of the Muslim women's resisting the hijab ban at their school and she is surfacing important dialogue about Islamaphobia in India. This is Keshia Hannam on everything you need to know about the Muslim Women who are fighting for their right to wear their Hijabs anywhere.

Jakarta, home to over 11 million people, has been steadily sinking into the Java Sea due to the #climatecrisis. Overpopulation and the sinking capital are the main reasons President Joko Widodo has decided to relocate the country’s capital to East Kalimantan, Borneo. It’s an ambitious project that may take 20 years, and Indonesians have voiced concerns about how quickly this decision was made. What does a new capital mean for Indonesia's citizens, the environment and cash? Here’s @stephtangk with everything you need to know about this $32 billion dollar capital move.